Emmyelle

It’s the tiny details that make me giddy. Of course I love actual products that I buy from shops, but I’m also a sucker for cohesive branding via packaging or promotional materials. When I decided I was going to have some tangible goods up in the shop, I jumped at the chance to trade hours picking up stitches for hours piecing together pixels.

Because I only have a few items at the moment, I was looking for a company that simultaneously offered greater design flexibility (variety of products, paper types, the ability to upload my own design) as well as a smaller quantity count (i.e. I don’t need 500 business cards at the moment). Moo (referral link) was perfect for that. I’d actually been eyeing them for years, way before I even thought to start up a shop– it’s the details, ya know? The biggest selling point for me was their Printfinity option, which allowed me to purchase only one set of 50 business cards and split up the designs– half would be product tags, the other half standard business cards (both share the “embellishments and curiosities” side).

Both the business cards and the product tags are printed on their “Green” paper option, which is wonderfully matte, making it perfect to write on! This also enables me to keep my options open for whatever future wares I might create! Furthermore, not only is the paper made up of 100% recycled post consumer waste, but the manufacturing process is also apparently powered by wind, which, yes, blows my mind (sorry!), but also really makes me want to rewatch Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Finally, because I placed these at the time of a sale, I splurged on these little vinyl stickers that I intend to stick on the outside of packages. High quality, thick vinyl with absolutely no pixelation on the designs. I love these so much!

Happy New Year everyone! I can’t believe 2014 is over and done with! (In all honesty, I usually say “I can’t believe it’s already [insert month here]. What have I done with my life??”) I’m quite far behind in the things that I’ve been meaning to share (weird life stuff, major holiday crafting, fantastical dreams/goals), but rather than start the new year with review of the past, I thought it best to start with something new. So, I give you a shiny new pattern- for free!– the Flynn Hat!

Flynn is a rib knit hat with a texture that’s not too plain or too complex- versatile for many occasions and many personalities! The ribbing not only provides visual and tactile interest, it helps the hat stretch where it needs to and stay snug where it should. Knit primarily in the Farrow Rib stitch, there are only two different rows to work until the crown, making Flynn an easy-to-memorize, quick knit, perfect for binge watching all those tv shows you have on your Netflix/Hulu/Prime queues. (Since we’re talking about movies, points if you can guess where I got the name. Hint: There are two answers!)

I also used this pattern to make a hat for my dad as a Christmas gift, using Lorna’s Laces’ Shepherd Worsted in the Lake Bluff colorway, which pooled in a fun, exaggerated spiral way.

Opposite side of the same hat. Really.

If you’re not a knitter and want one of your own, I’ve made a few available for sale in my etsy shop! To celebrate the new year, there’s a coupon code for free domestic Priority/discounted International First Class shipping.

NEEDLES & NOTIONS
Size US 7/4.5mm 16″ Circular Needle
Size US 7/4.5mm DPNS OR 2 circular needles OR 1 long circular needle for Magic Loop (whichever you prefer to use for knitting small circumferences in the round)
1 stitch marker to mark beginning of round

*To change the sizing, change the number of cast-on sts by 12: increase by 12 sts to make a larger hat or decrease by 12 to make a smaller hat. Alternatively, you can change the needle size.

SKILL LEVEL
Advanced beginner

SKILLS AND ABBREVIATIONS
CO: cast on
st(s): stitch(es)
rem: remaining
wyib: with the yarn in back
sl: slip purl-wise
k: knit
p: purl
yo: yarn-oversl2tog-k-p2sso: wyib sl 2 sts as if to k2tog, k the next st, then pass the 2 sl sts over the k st. (sometimes written as “cdd” or “sk2p”)
k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
ssk: wyib (sl 1 st as if to k) twice, insert left needle into front of both sts and k2tog
Rnd(s): round(s)

DIRECTIONS
Cast on 96 sts, join in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts, and place marker to indicate beginning of rnd.
I recommend the German Twisted Cast-On; it’s a touch more elastic than the Long-Tail Cast-On. The Cable Cast-On would also be a nice choice.

Brim: k2, p1 across.
Work 2×1 rib for 1.25″.

Rnd 1: k1, p2 acrossRnd 2: k2, p1 across

Repeat these last two rnds until hat measures 6.5″ from cast-on edge, or until desired length. The decreases at the crown will add approximately 1.5″ in length.

FINISHING
Cut yarn, leaving a tail at least 18″ long. Thread tail through rem sts and pull tight to close. Weave in ends. A quick soak and light blocking may help relaxing any stitches, especially the decreases, but other than that, you are good to go!

This charming little cloche not only hearkens back to the 1920s with its classic bell shape, but with an Art Deco-esque lace as well. It’s designed with considerable negative ease for a snug fit (so of course it’ll stay put whilst sneaking into speakeasies and/or dancing the Charleston) and to open up the lace. Knit it up in muted, neutral tones for an era-appropriate look, or in a bright, vivid color for a retrofuturist approach. Instructions are also given for stripes along each pattern repeat, so you don’t have to decide on just one color!

While there are only two sizes given, the pattern can easily be adapted; for a looser fit, just cast on another 10 stitches (or 20! Whatever you need) as each pattern repeat creates approximately 1.25” of width. Keep in mind however that since there is no ribbing, the lace is what maintains the elasticity. Choosing a yarn with natural elasticity and memory will also help. Juniper Moon Farm’s Moonshine yarn was the perfect choice not only because of its name, but because of its fiber content: wool keeps it stretchy, alpaca provides a silent-film, soft-focus halo, and silk adds that little taste of glamour and opulence.

Celeste knits up fast, so you can make one for yourself and maybe even a few friends as holiday gifts!

To celebrate this being my first Small Business Saturday, from now until the end of Monday, December 1st at 11:59PM PST, you can get a total of 10% off this pattern and/or the Sirena snood with the code TINYSHOP10. The code will work in both Etsy and Ravelry, so go where you feel most at home.

After a few months of working and worrying– not to mention the years of wondering– I’m finally starting an online shop, Emmyelle! Now, if you’ve met me, you’re probably well aware of my anxious and neurotic ways so this was no easy feat, but in all honesty, it was an easy decision. So many ideas were bubbling around in my brain and it was time they were finally made manifest.

The first item available is a knitting pattern*, my ode to summer, Sirena. This is a lacy little thing that gets its name not from the effect it can have on sailors (or does it?), but from the Milanese Lace stitch that evokes geometric wave patterns. Short and sweet, it’s easy to knit up and even easier to wear, making it perfect for those breezy days at the beach or any time you need just a little protection from the elements.

Using the Provisional Cast-On method, Sirena begins from one side and is worked towards the other, with the ends grafted together using the kitchener stitch for a seamless look. Because of this, the final length of the piece is determined by the cast-on stitches, while the final circumference is determined by the rows worked.

Despite the lace and the cast-on method (a link to detailed instructions is provided within the pattern), one only needs to know the following stitches: knit/knit 2 together, purl/purl 2 together, and yarn-over. That’s it!

I’ve knitted these two samples up in differing weights and fibers to illustrate the versatility of the pattern. The turquoise sample is Wool and the Gang’s Shiny Happy Cotton in “Magic Mint” (which was recently restocked!), while the orange sample is Knit Picks’ Shadow Lace, a 100% Merino Wool yarn, in the beautiful, but unfortunately now discontinued “Queen Anne Tonal” colorway.

Sirena is available to purchase for only $5 USD over at Ravelry, (you don’t have to be a member to make purchases) as well as Etsy! Both sites have the pattern available for instant download, so no need to wait to cast on!

* If you’re interested in a physical product, please let me know! I’ve been considering making a worsted weight option available for sale, but given that there are so many factors to look into (fiber options, colors, costs of production and shipping, the list goes on!) I wanted to know if enough people are interested before heading down that road.

August 20, 2014

welcome

Glass Lens, Gold Key is the personal website and blog of a twenty-something girl named Maria who loves music, television, comics, musing and making things. Read more about the girl and the site here.